one ♡ a not-so-happy valentine post

[dereban]

[ This post shows up in the late afternoon on the 14th, under the user named Queen: ]

I'd say "happy Valentine's" but this application has currently ruined the holiday in the worst possible way. Why couldn't we have had forced blind dating? Or even Cupid arrow shenanigans? I would have liked either of those.

So, a quick set of inquiries. There are still sane people on the app that haven't gone obsessive crazy, right? Or know someone that can help with self defense... I kind of need it now.

Comments

[usurpers]

[ “a bit”.

when queen had said all black, honestly, eren had assumed a punk. sort of. or goth. tol meets smol, and when he double takes to being called, eren looks mildly surprised. his eyes blink, wide, because he’s seen her face before. in a picture.

(a cosplay picture, in fact). ]

You’re— Rean’s sister?

[dereban]

[ She's not the one who had some sort of weird goth phase in her life - spoilers: that was her brother - and whole she could probably pull the punk look, she's a lot more practical and has a decent sense of 'normal' style. Not to mention that it is, in fact, February and still winter.

Although her eyes widen at the mention of her brother's name, looking pretty surprised for a moment before her shoulders relax, although her voice comes off a little more awkwardly than it should ]

Y-yeah, that's me... Did Rean show you a picture of me or something?

[usurpers]

[ rean (that is all we need to say, rean).

eren smiles, the way raina wouldn’t get but closer friends would: it’s the smile he gives when he’s about to nerd the heckie out of here. ]

A picture of both of you. You make a great Alisa.

[dereban]

[ Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no, Raina is turning pale as a sheet because hearing those words is a curse but she tries to smile through it after a second, a little strained. ] Ah, is that so? I appreciate it and will tell my brother after he's back to normal that you told me that. [ Rean Schwarzer is fucking dead. ]

[usurpers]

[ was it something he said

well— anyway! he sees that she doesn’t look too good, straining smiles are a chore to pull off and, ah. maybe this is why, it has nothing to do with cosplay. ]

Is something wrong with him?

[dereban]

[ It's probably fine, although she stops the smile when he mentions that. ]

Yeah, he was acting strangely possessive when I saw him earlier today.

[usurpers]

[ hm.

recollé needs to fix this. well, they need to fix that. it wasn’t the first time this month that he’s heard, or seen, someone acting weird. either way— in a beat of silence, eren bows his head, an acknowledgement, before extending his hand to her. ]

I’m Eren.

[ ellen jaguar was a mistake ]

[dereban]

[ To be honest, she doesn't like the idea of someone else solving issues for them. But she doesn't think that there's anything that she, personally, can do to actually help. Steeling her expression, she takes the hand in a firm handshake to properly introduce herself. ] It's Raina. So should we get started?

[usurpers]

I'll just get changed.

[ no one wants to practice self defense with jeans on. luckily, there's a spot that's completely free in the training area, complete with safety mats. eren gestures that way while he goes into the locker rooms— only to change out of his jeans and into leggings and training shorts and meet her at the mats.

the t-shirt stays. ]

You've never had any sort of self defense class?

[dereban]

Alright.

[ Raina quietly nods her head in understanding, letting him get changed himself as she just waits patiently in the training area, doing some simple stretches in the meantime before he's back.

She... kind of wonders if he likes that shirt that much, but doesn't bother to ask it. Even if her cosplaying hobby was exposed. ]

Yeah, I haven't at all. Back at home I didn't have to, and I thought that would also be the case when I transferred last month, but...

[ It clearly isn't. ]

[usurpers]

We’ll fix it.

[ he’ll fix up a training schedule for her, but right now he’s just studying how, with her body stature. mm. yes!! he might have something. ]

Warm ups. [ they have to do those first, before anything, and after they’re done, enough to start sweating a little— perfect. that’s right where he wants them. ] Remember that strength isn’t always what saves you. It’s how you use someone else’s strength against them.

. . . Most of what I learned is from a girl three heads smaller than me, and she’s the one who taught me that. After beating my ass more than once.

[dereban]

Right. [ She nods casually while managing to keep her composure. Warm ups are definitely important, given that they're the basic of basics - even someone like her who doesn't do much exercise outside of what used to be mandatory physical education classes - which are practically none now that she's in college instead of high school, it honestly doesn't take much to get her to start breathing a little heavily. She's definitely more on the delicate side, that's for certain. Just give her a moment to catch herself before giving a decent response. ] And that makes sense. Using people's strengths and weaknesses against them is honestly more my style, anyway. [ As she is very much a tactics oriented person to begin with. ]